By Carol Mowdy Bond
Contributing writer
A senior at Piedmont High School, Titus Haggard has achieved three top Boys Scout honors.
Haggard finished his Eagle Scout project. As well, the scouts in his unit voted Haggard into the prestigious Order of the Arrow, an accomplishment that everyone doesn’t reach. The Order of the Arrow is achieved when a scout’s peers choose their member who exhibits the most integrity, and who follows the scouting laws, and shows unusual leadership skills. Haggard is the highest ranked in his troop, and received the title of Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. Adults in scouting vote on this achievement, which comes with responsibilities. Not all scouts receive the Junior Assistant Scoutmaster title.
Haggard, who has attended Piedmont schools since kindergarten, has been in Boy Scout programs for 11 years. He began planning his Eagle Scout project about nine months ago, and he knew he wanted to give back to his community. He has worked for his father for the past three years. His father, Neal Haggard, owns Outdoor Solutions, an outdoor living company that offers various services including installing, mending, and replacing fences. “Titus has a skill set he has learned by working for me, and it includes the ability to replace, install, and mend fences,” Neal Haggard said.
The Haggard family had never before met Lori and Richard Jones, nor had they visited the Jones’ Haven of Hope Rescue for dogs, located in Okarche. “In June, we just showed up at Haven of Hope out of the blue, and offered our services. We thought maybe Lori could use our skills. For our first visit, we just assessed the situation, to see if there was a need relating to security issues for the dogs, including anything involving gates and fences. And Lori Jones loves what we do,” Titus Haggard said.
“I wanted my project to impact my local community. For me, it was better to help someone in the community than someone far away. And I wanted to help a nonprofit. I saw what they were doing at Haven of Hope, and chose their nonprofit. As scouts, we are to do good and not expect anything in return,” Titus Haggard said.
Titus Haggard then began planning his Eagle Scout project, and filling out paperwork, and completing the required Eagle Scout project notebook which had to be approved. The approval came in June through the Last Frontier Council. Finances were needed to pay for the project, which had a price tag of about $200. Donations came in for the amount, and Titus Haggard was ready to proceed.
“I’m a member of Troop 162. The Eagle Scout project involves using leadership skills to complete the project. I chose four people from my troop to help me execute the project, and they were Dymitri Doherty, Brice Phrem, Preston Mueggenborg, and my younger brother T.J. Haggard who is also a scout. The overall project, including preparing and buying supplies, involved about 15 total man hours,” Titus Haggard said.
After Titus Haggard and his crew completed the Haven of Hope project, Lori Jones said, “We want to give our friends Titus, Dymitri, Brice, Preston, and T.J., with Boy Scouts of America Troop 162, our thanks and gratitude! Titus Haggard chose Haven of Hope Rescue for his Eagle Scout project. We appreciate this so much! Titus and his fellow troop members came to Haven of Hope and repaired all of our double gates so that they would work properly and function the way they are supposed to! Over the years, a medium sized problem with these gates turned into a much bigger one. They were very difficult to open and close due to a variety of things, and we didn’t have the expertise to fix them. Problem solved! Titus, Dymitri, Bryce, Preston, and T.J. spent their Saturday morning with Neal, Titus’ Dad, and fixed all the gates so they swing easily, lock tight, and are solid and secure. Plus they look so much better without the railroad ties we were using to keep them closed. This is a big deal to us! It improves the security SO much in the areas many of the dogs play in, and it truly did spruce up the place too! We appreciate the time they spent helping us and our rescue kids, their professionalism, and their wish to make a difference. These guys did a great job, and made a big impact on our day-to-day endeavors. We love the results of their efforts!”
After high school graduation, Titus Haggard has his eye set on the military, with an ultimate goal to earn his degree and become a pharmacist.
